Updates

So....where does one begin updating when one hasn't updated in too long a time? By month? By person? Eeek!


Let's go by person. Oldest to youngest. Sound fair? Good. Here we go:


AARON

One word to sum up Aaron Chandler these days? Busy. Very, very busy. He's playing a ton, working a ton, taking care of us a ton, and then still makes time to watch football. (Go Saints!) :) Just before Thanksgiving, there was chaos at the music store (I think I'm putting that mildly enough). I won't give you the dirty details, but Aaron is now commission-only and is expanding his own business from home, ACME Trombones. Website is being developed now, and we'll be sure to share just as soon as it's ready to be looked at! And if you have a trombone that you love, please send it to Aaron -- I don't really know what voodoo he does to them, but trombone enthusiasts sure do love it!

ERICA

One word for me? Busy. (Ha!) I'm still working, although have (finally) arranged for my hours to be reduced to 36 per week. Know that doesn't sound like a lot, but it does allow me to stay at home in the mornings until the boys leave; whereas before, I was leaving before they were even up a lot of the times. Still looking for some way to go part time, while still having insurance and, you know, paying the bills, but, for now, am as happy as I can be.

MILO

One word for Milo Guy? Hmmmm. How about big? That boy is growing up -- as he is very quick to remind us -- every day! Getting so darn big and tall and smart. He really is very funny and has a great sense of humor! He can count to 10 on his fingers, knows how to recognize and write his name (even if it is backwards sometimes), loves to sing songs by his Daddy's band (favorites are "Palm Court Strut" and "When I die (nice, right?)...you better second line"), has had a blast at soccer class, asks to go back to the beach at least 5 times a week, loves his "family" (which, btw, does not include Aaron, Hank and I -- it is his aunts and uncles and cousins), and is really, REALLY looking forward to swim class in a few weeks. He also loves preschool, and is really flourishing there.

HANK

One word for Hankers: Busy. That boy does NOT stop moving! He's walking -- and almost running -- everywhere, climbing, screaming, talking, kissing, splashing. Boy! To have just 1/10 of his energy would be great! At his one year check-up last week, he was just shy of 25 lbs (75%) and 30" (50%). He has close to 15 words (at his age he should have 2), and loves to engage whoever's near in peekaboo or mimicking noises. In the fall, the poor little guy had 5 ear infections in 7 weeks. It was miserable for all of us! But he got tubes in early October, and has been perfection since. And he had his second round of MRI and developmental testing for the autism study at Wash U that we're participating in this past week. He was the first baby ever to lock himself in the office. True story. And I didn't even panic! ;)

So, that's us for now. And I'm going to work on uploading photos from all the fun we've missed sharing: playing in the leaves, Milo's 4th birthday, Christmas, Hank's 1st birthday. Where, oh where, does time go?!

Love to all!

Ummm...Hello? Anybody There?

*insert embarrassed smirk here*

Can someone tell me? Has it REALLY been half a year since I've updated? Why didn't someone snap me out of it? ;)

At any rate, we're still here! The Big Boy is 4; the Baby Boy is 1, and we're all still standing. Let me gather my thoughts, and maybe edit some photos to add. Then I'll do a proper Welcome Back post. :)